AUSTIN, Texas — There's nothing like the smell of a brand-new car and every day it's becoming harder to get one.
Steven Cook was searching for a car in the middle of a shortage. After heading to a dealership, he realized finding the car he truly wanted wasn't going to be so easy.
"We went to a Jeep dealership, and they had no cars," he added. "They maybe had three used Jeeps that look like they were driven the way the commercials show, like through the backwoods and up the mountains. There were rough spots on them and they were like three years old. They were selling for 5, 6, or $8,000 over a brand-new one."
There's an ongoing global microchip shortage. The chips used in computers and wireless devices also add technology to new cars. That shortage is slowing down production.
This is something Cook quickly realized. When they went to another dealer in search of a Ford Bronco, he was told he had to wait 18 months for it to arrive.
"One of the salespeople had said that the truck that pulls all the cars from state to state or across the state ... all those cars coming off that truck ... are already sold," said Cook.
It was a process, but he was finally able to buy a car. However, he has to wait two to three months for it to arrive.
"Do your homework and just make sure you know what you're getting into," said Cook. "Definitely expect something a lot different now."
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: